Lord, Disturb Me
By Pastor Marvin Williams
This week's topic: The Fear Of The Lord
I follow the Radical Rabbi named Jesus, but I am too safe, too comfortable, too undisturbed.
I hang the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door of my life because I don't like my comfort, safety and status-quo living being interrupted by the turbulence of big dreams, the deep waters of radical obedience, the rough seas of suffering, and the dark nights of uncertain adventures.
The other day, I ran across a prayer, written by Sir Frances Drake (explorer and naval pioneer during the Elizabethan era), that disturbed me. This prayer affected my spiritual equilibrium so much, that I want to share it with you, in hopes that it will disturb you like it did me.
Don't just gloss over the words; sit with it for a minute and then spend some time, dissecting and parsing its content. Then ask God to help you identify "smooth sailing" areas of your life. Next, ask him to disturb the places in your life where you are safe, comfortable, undisturbed.
Here's the prayer:
Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity; and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push us into the future in strength, courage, hope, and love.
I know I have been sailing too close to the shore lately and I am asking Jesus to disturb me to action.
In what areas have you become too comfortable and need to pray: "Lord, disturb me?" In what areas in your life have you been traveling too close to shore and need to pray: "Lord, disturb me?"
Scripture Of The Day: "You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him." - Deuteronomy 13:4
Pastor Marvin Williams serves as a teaching pastor and one of the lead architects constructing the new fellowship of believers at Tabernacle Community Church, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Committed to reaching people beyond the four walls of the church, Pastor Williams and his wife, Tonia, have three children. http://www.marvinlwilliams.org.…
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Moments
Moments
By Pastor Olu Brown
This week's topic: The Fear Of The Lord
The longer I live the more I realize life is filled with moments -- moments of pain, moments of joy, moments of triumph and moments of defeat. The writer of Ecclesiastes said it best when he described life in the picture of time.
The other day, I had one of those moments when I thought about my life. I received the news of a tragic accident that claimed the life of five people. In that moment, I reflected.
I have often been guilty of taking my moments or my time for granted and filling them with complaints and fears that rob me of my peace. On that day, I realized just how precious every moment called life really is.
It does not mean we live in constant fear of losing our lives and locking ourselves in the closet in hopes that tragedy will not find us. It does, however, mean that we open ourselves to life and the varying seasons of life. The good, the bad, through health and sickness, and we breathe deeply.
We breathe in, exhale every moment, and give God thanks for that moment.
My heart goes out for the families that will forever be changed because of their loss. I pray their strength and I pray their peace. I pray that those who are no longer with us will have rest in Glory. I also pray that those who remain will love every moment called life and live it to the fullest.
Scripture Of The Day: "There is a time for everything; and a season for every activity under heaven." - Ecclesiastes 3:1
The lead pastor of Impact Church, located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, Pastor Olu Brown has helped grow Impact into one of the fastest growing new church starts in America. For more information about Pastor Brown, log onto http://www.impactdcd.org or by following him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/olub.
By Pastor Olu Brown
This week's topic: The Fear Of The Lord
The longer I live the more I realize life is filled with moments -- moments of pain, moments of joy, moments of triumph and moments of defeat. The writer of Ecclesiastes said it best when he described life in the picture of time.
The other day, I had one of those moments when I thought about my life. I received the news of a tragic accident that claimed the life of five people. In that moment, I reflected.
I have often been guilty of taking my moments or my time for granted and filling them with complaints and fears that rob me of my peace. On that day, I realized just how precious every moment called life really is.
It does not mean we live in constant fear of losing our lives and locking ourselves in the closet in hopes that tragedy will not find us. It does, however, mean that we open ourselves to life and the varying seasons of life. The good, the bad, through health and sickness, and we breathe deeply.
We breathe in, exhale every moment, and give God thanks for that moment.
My heart goes out for the families that will forever be changed because of their loss. I pray their strength and I pray their peace. I pray that those who are no longer with us will have rest in Glory. I also pray that those who remain will love every moment called life and live it to the fullest.
Scripture Of The Day: "There is a time for everything; and a season for every activity under heaven." - Ecclesiastes 3:1
The lead pastor of Impact Church, located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, Pastor Olu Brown has helped grow Impact into one of the fastest growing new church starts in America. For more information about Pastor Brown, log onto http://www.impactdcd.org or by following him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/olub.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
A Reflection On Fear
A Reflection On Fear
By Lisa Birch
This week's topic: The Fear Of The Lord
I interviewed cross country runner and humanitarian Jonathon Prince, who just wrapped up his third trek across America — a 2,927-mile journey from Santa Monica, Calif., to Washington, D.C.
We had a long conversation about many things, but I won’t forget his answer to the question of what motivates him to give to charity in this way, besides the fact that he loves to run. Prince talked about focusing more on the invisible and less on the visible. Then we talked about eternity. He said it this way, “We are dead longer than we are alive.”
No doubt, Prince has had lots of time to think about eternity while spending day after day, month after month soaking up God’s creation as he goes from coast to coast, on foot. If there isn’t any other motivation in this life to help us fear or revere the Lord, thoughts about the depths of eternity should do it.
I think we all get it that our days are numbered, and that the span of our earthly life is only a quick blink compared to the time that exists after we check out of here. But make it more real and personal…
None of us knows our exact departure, but just say you live to age 90. Try adding up the years or days you have left. It may or may not seem like you have a long way to go, but the truth is, you don’t. Because whatever that number is, it’s definite — and brief — when sized up against an indefinite eternity.
When I make the final transition, I don’t want to look back and discover that I’ve wasted too much energy and effort on things that are insignificant to God. I want to see that I’ve invested heavily in things that are important to Him. Invisible, eternal things like serving, loving and giving.
If my life is a direct reflection of my reverence for the Lord and my revelation of eternity, what does that image look like?
Scripture Of The Day: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” – Ecclesiastes 12:13
Publisher of Vertical Fix online magazine, Lisa Birch has a passion for music with integrity. Along with her husband Chris, Lisa is the co-founder of Vertical Fix internet radio. A 15-year writer and editor, Lisa has contributed writings for corporate, creative, editorial and ministerial environments. For more on Lisa, log onto http://www.verticalfix.com.
By Lisa Birch
This week's topic: The Fear Of The Lord
I interviewed cross country runner and humanitarian Jonathon Prince, who just wrapped up his third trek across America — a 2,927-mile journey from Santa Monica, Calif., to Washington, D.C.
We had a long conversation about many things, but I won’t forget his answer to the question of what motivates him to give to charity in this way, besides the fact that he loves to run. Prince talked about focusing more on the invisible and less on the visible. Then we talked about eternity. He said it this way, “We are dead longer than we are alive.”
No doubt, Prince has had lots of time to think about eternity while spending day after day, month after month soaking up God’s creation as he goes from coast to coast, on foot. If there isn’t any other motivation in this life to help us fear or revere the Lord, thoughts about the depths of eternity should do it.
I think we all get it that our days are numbered, and that the span of our earthly life is only a quick blink compared to the time that exists after we check out of here. But make it more real and personal…
None of us knows our exact departure, but just say you live to age 90. Try adding up the years or days you have left. It may or may not seem like you have a long way to go, but the truth is, you don’t. Because whatever that number is, it’s definite — and brief — when sized up against an indefinite eternity.
When I make the final transition, I don’t want to look back and discover that I’ve wasted too much energy and effort on things that are insignificant to God. I want to see that I’ve invested heavily in things that are important to Him. Invisible, eternal things like serving, loving and giving.
If my life is a direct reflection of my reverence for the Lord and my revelation of eternity, what does that image look like?
Scripture Of The Day: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” – Ecclesiastes 12:13
Publisher of Vertical Fix online magazine, Lisa Birch has a passion for music with integrity. Along with her husband Chris, Lisa is the co-founder of Vertical Fix internet radio. A 15-year writer and editor, Lisa has contributed writings for corporate, creative, editorial and ministerial environments. For more on Lisa, log onto http://www.verticalfix.com.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The Fear Of God
This week's topic: The Fear Of The Lord
Okay. I think it’s time to finally let this cat out the bag. I realize that for many of you, this doesn’t come as much of a surprise; but I’m going to take a chance and say it anyway for those of you (like me) who are still trying to figure this whole 'Christian life' thing out.
Here it goes: Sometimes our God just doesn’t make much sense.
Now I realize that may sound a bit strange, but allow me to give you a few examples of what I mean:
More from:
Milan Ford
Classic Conditioning
Direction, Not Intention
In order to receive, He tells us we must (first) learn how to give. (Luke 6:38)
In order to lead, He tells us we must (first) learn how to follow. (Mark 1:17)
In order to be successful in life, we must (first) learn how to fail. (John 12:24-25).
And in order to be confident, we must (first) learn you to be afraid. (Proverbs 14:26)
Be afraid? Seems like strange advice coming from an all-mighty God, doesn’t it? I must admit I thought it was too until I read this passage in its entirety.
In the fear of the Lord, there is strong confidence,
His children will have a place of refuge.
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
It turns one away from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:26-27)
I will never forget something I heard a long-time mentor of mine, Pastor Terrell Murphy, once say when I was still a junior in college: The Kingdom of God…is backwards.
While FEAR is something many of us seek to avoid, I believe now more than ever before that FEAR is something God wants us at times to embrace. Although difficult for us to grasp, the measure of FAITH we have in God can be directly related to the measure of FEAR we have of Him.
For example: How many job opportunities have you passed up because you were AFRAID of what the employer may have said…rather than being AFRAID of disobeying the God who told you to apply? How many unfruitful relationships are you still holding on to because you are AFRAID of being alone…rather than being AFRAID of not trusting in the God who has better ones in store?
Believe it or not, FEAR is not something we always have to back away from. Sometimes, FEAR is something we need to lean more into. FEAR is not an enemy to us who believe; but rather it can be a very useful tool of faith. A tool of confidence. And as many of us already know, a tool of wisdom. (Proverbs 1:7)
Today, let’s honor God with our lives and with godly fear, examine the decisions we make concerning our lives.
Scripture Of The Day: "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, it turns one away from the snares of death." - Proverbs 14:27 (NKJV)
Milan Ford has been a leader (and survivor) of ministry within the local church for most of his life. The author of the brand new book, 83 Things I Wish The Black Church Would Stop Doing, you can find Milan rambling and writing at http://www.thepewview.com.…
Okay. I think it’s time to finally let this cat out the bag. I realize that for many of you, this doesn’t come as much of a surprise; but I’m going to take a chance and say it anyway for those of you (like me) who are still trying to figure this whole 'Christian life' thing out.
Here it goes: Sometimes our God just doesn’t make much sense.
Now I realize that may sound a bit strange, but allow me to give you a few examples of what I mean:
More from:
Milan Ford
Classic Conditioning
Direction, Not Intention
In order to receive, He tells us we must (first) learn how to give. (Luke 6:38)
In order to lead, He tells us we must (first) learn how to follow. (Mark 1:17)
In order to be successful in life, we must (first) learn how to fail. (John 12:24-25).
And in order to be confident, we must (first) learn you to be afraid. (Proverbs 14:26)
Be afraid? Seems like strange advice coming from an all-mighty God, doesn’t it? I must admit I thought it was too until I read this passage in its entirety.
In the fear of the Lord, there is strong confidence,
His children will have a place of refuge.
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
It turns one away from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:26-27)
I will never forget something I heard a long-time mentor of mine, Pastor Terrell Murphy, once say when I was still a junior in college: The Kingdom of God…is backwards.
While FEAR is something many of us seek to avoid, I believe now more than ever before that FEAR is something God wants us at times to embrace. Although difficult for us to grasp, the measure of FAITH we have in God can be directly related to the measure of FEAR we have of Him.
For example: How many job opportunities have you passed up because you were AFRAID of what the employer may have said…rather than being AFRAID of disobeying the God who told you to apply? How many unfruitful relationships are you still holding on to because you are AFRAID of being alone…rather than being AFRAID of not trusting in the God who has better ones in store?
Believe it or not, FEAR is not something we always have to back away from. Sometimes, FEAR is something we need to lean more into. FEAR is not an enemy to us who believe; but rather it can be a very useful tool of faith. A tool of confidence. And as many of us already know, a tool of wisdom. (Proverbs 1:7)
Today, let’s honor God with our lives and with godly fear, examine the decisions we make concerning our lives.
Scripture Of The Day: "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, it turns one away from the snares of death." - Proverbs 14:27 (NKJV)
Milan Ford has been a leader (and survivor) of ministry within the local church for most of his life. The author of the brand new book, 83 Things I Wish The Black Church Would Stop Doing, you can find Milan rambling and writing at http://www.thepewview.com.…
Monday, May 17, 2010
The Proper Place Of Sovereignty
The Proper Place Of Sovereignty
By Pastor Paula White
This week's topic: The Fear Of The Lord
In Hebrew, “Fear of the Lord” is translated Yirat Adonai. The root word Yirah expresses many different aspects of how we should regard God: with awe, reverence, wonder, amazement, fear, astonishment, devotion, and awareness of the sacred and awesome mystery of our relation to an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God…
When taking into consideration the many ideas expressed by the word “yirah,” having a “fear of the Lord” becomes very reasonable. It is actually a call for us to acknowledge God’s awesomeness -- in the universe, and in our lives. It is a declaration of our faith in Him, and how we should love and revere Him.
It reminds us to experience Him with ever-evolving, daily-renewed love and commitment…to realize and worship with gratitude the preciousness of our relationship with our Creator.
In other words: having a “fear of the Lord” is daily-remembering not to take God, and our relationship with Him, for granted. When we respect and regard Him in this manner, it gives our Father His proper place of sovereignty over our lives.
Having this kind of “fear of the Lord” is not a command to consider Him as a terrifying, unforgiving, or wrathful God. “Fear of the Lord” doesn’t mean being scared of God.
When people think, “God is scary!” this perception comes from a distorted perception of who God is. God has revealed His nature in His Word. From cover to cover in your Bible, you will find that God loves His children and seeks their highest and best good. The apostle Paul described God’s nature as having these hallmarks in addition to love: joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22 – 23).
However, we must never lose sight of the fact that we are the created; He is the Creator. We are finite; He is infinite. We are bound by time and space; He is eternal and ever-present. We know things in part; He knows things in full.
We are wise when we welcome the presence of God into our lives. We are wise when we consult God about who we are and what He has planned for us. We are wise when we realize that God is in control.
This is why the Bible tells us that “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” and we are commanded to follow His Word and praise Him in all things, and for all things.
So rejoice daily in having a healthy “fear of the Lord.” It is a truly a profound expression of our faith in Him – and it brings us into a deeper, fuller, more intimate relationship with our Father, the great “I AM!”
Scripture Of The Day: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise." - Psalm 111:10
A life coach, author, and highly sought after motivational speaker, Pastor Paula White is the host of her own television program—Paula Today, which reaches an audience of 2.3 billion people worldwide, spearheading a number of global humanitarian efforts. Her mission in life is to Transform Lives, Heal Hearts and Win Souls. Visit http://www.paulawhite.org.…
By Pastor Paula White
This week's topic: The Fear Of The Lord
In Hebrew, “Fear of the Lord” is translated Yirat Adonai. The root word Yirah expresses many different aspects of how we should regard God: with awe, reverence, wonder, amazement, fear, astonishment, devotion, and awareness of the sacred and awesome mystery of our relation to an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God…
When taking into consideration the many ideas expressed by the word “yirah,” having a “fear of the Lord” becomes very reasonable. It is actually a call for us to acknowledge God’s awesomeness -- in the universe, and in our lives. It is a declaration of our faith in Him, and how we should love and revere Him.
It reminds us to experience Him with ever-evolving, daily-renewed love and commitment…to realize and worship with gratitude the preciousness of our relationship with our Creator.
In other words: having a “fear of the Lord” is daily-remembering not to take God, and our relationship with Him, for granted. When we respect and regard Him in this manner, it gives our Father His proper place of sovereignty over our lives.
Having this kind of “fear of the Lord” is not a command to consider Him as a terrifying, unforgiving, or wrathful God. “Fear of the Lord” doesn’t mean being scared of God.
When people think, “God is scary!” this perception comes from a distorted perception of who God is. God has revealed His nature in His Word. From cover to cover in your Bible, you will find that God loves His children and seeks their highest and best good. The apostle Paul described God’s nature as having these hallmarks in addition to love: joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22 – 23).
However, we must never lose sight of the fact that we are the created; He is the Creator. We are finite; He is infinite. We are bound by time and space; He is eternal and ever-present. We know things in part; He knows things in full.
We are wise when we welcome the presence of God into our lives. We are wise when we consult God about who we are and what He has planned for us. We are wise when we realize that God is in control.
This is why the Bible tells us that “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” and we are commanded to follow His Word and praise Him in all things, and for all things.
So rejoice daily in having a healthy “fear of the Lord.” It is a truly a profound expression of our faith in Him – and it brings us into a deeper, fuller, more intimate relationship with our Father, the great “I AM!”
Scripture Of The Day: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise." - Psalm 111:10
A life coach, author, and highly sought after motivational speaker, Pastor Paula White is the host of her own television program—Paula Today, which reaches an audience of 2.3 billion people worldwide, spearheading a number of global humanitarian efforts. Her mission in life is to Transform Lives, Heal Hearts and Win Souls. Visit http://www.paulawhite.org.…
Sunday, May 16, 2010
AIDS WALK N.Y. MAY 17, 2010 (Please click on images to enlarge photos)
The Frontliners Partnered with The Healing Touch and Chosen Ministries to walk in the 25th Annual Aids Walk N.Y. We gathered at the fountain in front of the Plaza hotel for breakfast and Prayer, then we proceeded to do the 6 1/2 mile walk.
Lacking no Good Thing
Lacking No Good Thing
By Pastor Andre Butler
This week's topic: The Fear Of The Lord
Sometimes we talk about the fear of the Lord and we think about just a deep respect, but that is not what the fear of the Lord is about. The word “fear” in Psalm 34:9, when translated, means “reverence.” Reverence is deeper than respect. To revere the Lord is to be in awe of him and this begins on the inside. You choose on the inside to revere him. And so he says here that we need to choose to have a reverence for God.
More from:
Pastor Andre Butler
•Get It To Give It
•Living As A New Creation
•Winning The War Within
Notice what he says will happen when we fear the Lord. There is no want. The word “want” there also means no lack. Here is the key to reaching a place where we do not lack at all. People in this world today lack for money, health, peace of mind, answers, and even victory.
There are so many different areas that people in this world lack for. But the Word says that they who fear the Lord -- there is no lack for them. It doesn’t matter if you are black, white, old, or young. As long as you do this, you can reach a state of no lack.
Why should you fear the Lord? Because, when you fear God you will reach the place where you do not lack any good thing. That means if it is a good thing, you will have it. It is the will of God that you lack no good thing in your life. If it is a good thing then God wants you to have it. But the only qualifier to me is that you fear Him. If you fear Him, then He is going to bless you.
How do you get there, you may ask? The answer is walking in the fear of the Lord. This is a very important topic, and there is a little bit more to this than we sometimes realize. I am not talking about being afraid of God. God does not want you afraid of Him and afraid of what He is going to do to you. Real knowledge and real wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord.
When you begin to reverence God then you are ready to operate in a higher level of knowledge and a higher level of wisdom than the world. There is going to be a certain revelation that rules in your life because if you are reverencing Him and are in awe of him, you're going to recognize that not only is He God, but that He is always watching you.
So obviously the Word is going to get you to a place where you are operating in the fear of the Lord and then, of course, the fear of the Lord will cause you to lack no good thing in your life.
Scripture Of The Day: "Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints. There is no want to those who fear Him." - Psalm 34:9
By Pastor Andre Butler
This week's topic: The Fear Of The Lord
Sometimes we talk about the fear of the Lord and we think about just a deep respect, but that is not what the fear of the Lord is about. The word “fear” in Psalm 34:9, when translated, means “reverence.” Reverence is deeper than respect. To revere the Lord is to be in awe of him and this begins on the inside. You choose on the inside to revere him. And so he says here that we need to choose to have a reverence for God.
More from:
Pastor Andre Butler
•Get It To Give It
•Living As A New Creation
•Winning The War Within
Notice what he says will happen when we fear the Lord. There is no want. The word “want” there also means no lack. Here is the key to reaching a place where we do not lack at all. People in this world today lack for money, health, peace of mind, answers, and even victory.
There are so many different areas that people in this world lack for. But the Word says that they who fear the Lord -- there is no lack for them. It doesn’t matter if you are black, white, old, or young. As long as you do this, you can reach a state of no lack.
Why should you fear the Lord? Because, when you fear God you will reach the place where you do not lack any good thing. That means if it is a good thing, you will have it. It is the will of God that you lack no good thing in your life. If it is a good thing then God wants you to have it. But the only qualifier to me is that you fear Him. If you fear Him, then He is going to bless you.
How do you get there, you may ask? The answer is walking in the fear of the Lord. This is a very important topic, and there is a little bit more to this than we sometimes realize. I am not talking about being afraid of God. God does not want you afraid of Him and afraid of what He is going to do to you. Real knowledge and real wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord.
When you begin to reverence God then you are ready to operate in a higher level of knowledge and a higher level of wisdom than the world. There is going to be a certain revelation that rules in your life because if you are reverencing Him and are in awe of him, you're going to recognize that not only is He God, but that He is always watching you.
So obviously the Word is going to get you to a place where you are operating in the fear of the Lord and then, of course, the fear of the Lord will cause you to lack no good thing in your life.
Scripture Of The Day: "Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints. There is no want to those who fear Him." - Psalm 34:9
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